System Identification and Modelling of Front Wheel Drive Electric Wheelchairs

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A wireless data acquisition and control platform has been developed to model electric powered
wheelchairs. The test-bed integrates sensors, embedded controller, and the motorised mechanical system. Real time data acquisition and analysis is performed in dSpace. The motion control is executed via RS232
Bluetooth and Radio-Control receiver. Test procedures have been designed to find parameters of the wheelchairs, including centre of gravity, moment of inertia, and electric constants. These parameters can then be used in dynamics modeling. Both kinematics model and force model of the wheelchair have been
established, using Simulink as a platform to derive the model. The developed experimental setup not only facilitates system identification and modelling of motorised wheelchairs, and wheeled mobile robots in general; but also serves as an excellent case study for mechatronics and control design.